Vehicle suspension having active camber variation

ABSTRACT

The vehicle includes a suspended running chassis ( 1 ) making it possible to define a longitudinal and vertical plane forming a reference linked to the chassis ( 1 ), the preferred running direction being parallel to said longitudinal plane, and at least two wheel connecting systems, the wheels ( 2 ) of which are not aligned relative to said longitudinal plane, said wheel connecting systems being mounted on said chassis ( 1 ) on either side of the latter in the transverse direction, each of the wheel connecting systems comprising a wheel ( 2 ) mounted on a support ( 5 ) by means of a suspension device allowing vertical deflection of the wheel ( 2 ) relative to the support ( 5 ), said suspensions being independent of one another. Each support ( 5 ) is mounted on said chassis ( 1 ) by means of a camber mechanism which includes a camber lever ( 4 ) and a countergear ( 40 ) making it possible to vary the camber angle of the corresponding wheel ( 2 ). The camber mechanism comprises an arm ( 70 ) mounted on the support ( 5 ) an axis of support oriented substantially parallel to said longitudinal plane, and mounted on the chassis ( 1 ) without any possibility of tilting about a longitudinal axis relative to said chassis ( 1 ), so as to transmit the weight carried by the chassis to the support ( 5 ).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a suspension for vehicles, inparticular road vehicles. It relates both to the guidance of a vehiclewheel relative to the body of this vehicle and to the organization ofthe deflection of the wheel relative to the chassis. It relates moreparticularly to means used for actively controlling the position of thewheel plane relative to the body.

[0002] It is known that a wheel is mounted on a hub and that the hub ismounted on a wheel carrier by means of a rolling bearing which embodiesthe axis of rotation of the wheel. The guidance of the wheel involvesallowing the wheel carrier to be displaced relative to the vehicle by anextent which is sufficient for the suspension of the vehicle. Moreover,the guidance of the wheel must be such that the control of the path ofthe vehicle via the grip of the tires on the ground is ensured under thebest possible conditions. The deflecting movement which is sought is ofgreat extent in the vertical direction.

[0003] It is customary for this movement to be designated by theexpression “vertical suspension”. It may be desirable to allow slightmovement in the longitudinal direction (“horizontal suspension” is thenreferred to), while, ideally, the aim is to avoid any relative movementin the transverse direction. Moreover, the steering and the cambervariations which all these movements may induce must be strictlycontained, thus also resulting in a design constraint which the averageperson skilled in the art must take into account.

[0004] If the “plane” of the wheel is what is meant by the planeperpendicular to the axis of rotation of the wheel and passing throughthe middle of the wheel or, more specifically, through the center of thearea of contact with the ground of a tire mounted on said wheel, thecontrol of the deflecting movements is tantamount to saying thatguidance must ensure a strictly controlled position of the plane of thewheel relative to the chassis. It is still possible to define alongitudinal and vertical plane forming a reference linked to thechassis and to identify the preferred running direction which isparallel to said longitudinal plane. The purpose of guiding the plane ofthe wheel is to control as strictly as possible the relative position ofthe plane of the wheel relative to said longitudinal plane in terms ofangle and distance.

[0005] The guidance of the wheel plane directly affects the attitude ofthe tire in relation to the ground, hence the stresses which said tireundergoes and the more or less favorable position which it assumes inorder to transmit forces, in particular forces in the transversedirection. Now these forces are known to be of primary importance forthe guidance of the vehicle and therefore for safety.

[0006] Road vehicles in use at the present time are known to experiencea rolling movement precisely because of their suspension. In fact, thecentrifugal force causes a transfer of load toward the outside of thebend, thus resulting in an increase in compression of the suspensions onthe outside of the bend and an expansion of the suspensions on theinside of the bend. Now this roll is detrimental both to passengercomfort and to the roadholding of the vehicle due to the increase in thecamber of the wheels which it brings about. The means used most often tocombat this roll involves using one or more antiroll bars.Unfortunately, an antiroll bar can only limit the roll by opposing areaction torque to the latter. In principle, it cannot prevent roll fromtaking hold, and therefore it cannot prevent the wheels from beinginclined in a direction unfavorable to the proper functioning of thetires.

[0007] Other solutions making it possible to combat roll more radicallyare also known. It is possible to conceive a pendulum suspension (purelypassive). Such suspensions can force the wheel plane to be inclinedtoward the inside of the bend by means of a suitable mechanism, or elsethey can also transfer the rolling axis of the vehicle above the centerof gravity, so that the vehicle body is naturally inclined toward theinside of the bend. However, pendulum suspensions have not had muchsuccess, probably because of the difficulty of installing suspensionarms and joints making it possible to achieve this result. The intrusionof suspension arms and joints in places which it is desirable to leavefree for the passenger compartment or for installing the engine ortransmission of the vehicle would appear to be a disadvantage. Thisproblem seems to limit this type of suspension to a few types ofvehicle, such as, for example, in the field of railroads. Moreover, ingeneral terms pendulum suspensions increase the overload on the wheelslocated on the outside of the bend by displacing the center of gravityof the vehicle toward the outside of the bend. This is particularlydetrimental with regard to road vehicles equipped with tires.

[0008] Moreover, research for an even better compromise betweensuspension comfort and roadholding leads to the provision of so-calledactive or semiactive suspensions, the control of which is now madepossible by advances in electronics. However, it is found that thesecontrol means are transplanted onto suspensions which are still oftraditional mechanical design, said control means being adapted to thedefects of these suspensions, without looking to make use of newparameters in suspension kinematics. In other words, active orsemiactive suspensions are concerned simply with controlling the dampingcharacteristics of the suspensions and even the flexibilitycharacteristics, while at the same time preserving suspension kinematicsderived directly from conventional forms of construction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The object of the invention is to improve the operating safety ofvehicles by means of suspension kinematics allowing active control ofthe camber of the wheel, in order to maintain the tires in a positionrelative to the ground which is as favorable as possible to their gripand their fatigue strength, even in the event of extremely severestresses.

[0010] The invention provides a vehicle comprising:

[0011] a suspended running chassis making it possible to define alongitudinal and vertical plane forming a reference linked to thechassis, the preferred running direction of the vehicle being parallelto said longitudinal plane,

[0012] at least two wheel connecting systems, each comprising a wheel,said wheel connecting systems being mounted on said chassis on eitherside of the latter in a transverse direction, each of the wheelconnecting systems comprising a wheel mounted on a support by means of asuspension device allowing deflection of the wheel relative to thesupport, said suspensions being independent of one another, thedeflecting movement taking place in the plane of the wheel, thedeflection stroke being sufficient to afford the required verticalsuspension movement,

[0013] wherein each support is mounted on said chassis by means of acamber mechanism making it possible to vary the camber angle of thecorresponding wheel, said camber mechanism acting between the chassisand each support, so as to incline the plane of each wheel relative tosaid longitudinal plane in order to impart a camber angle of desiredamplitude to the planes of said wheels, thus inclining all the wheelsrelative to the ground in the same direction.

[0014] It is especially advantageous to control the camber angle so asto improve the behavior or comfort of the vehicle on a bend. Theinvention makes it possible to incline the plane of each wheel in theopposite direction to transverse acceleration. For this purpose, thevehicle comprises at least one sensor for recording the value of atleast one parameter making it possible to evaluate the transverseacceleration exerted on the vehicle, and calculation means forcalculating the amplitude of each camber angle as a function of thevalue or values recorded, said camber mechanism comprising control meansacting under the control of said calculation means.

[0015] Typically, the transverse acceleration in question is thecentrifugal force occurring on a bend. The invention allows activecontrol of the camber of the wheels. By virtue of the arrangementprovided by the invention, a tendency of tires to exhibit pronouncedwear at the shoulders is combatted effectively, this tendency being wellknown in passenger cars driven for sport. In this case, the tread may beexcessively offset axially toward the center of the vehicle. The activecontrol of the camber corrects this tendency. Moreover, even when,simultaneously, the wheel experiences camber variations and the verticalsuspension experiences pronounced deflections, the mode of functioningof the tire remains as far as possible optimal.

[0016] It may be noted that the camber is the angle which the plane ofthe wheel forms relative to a straight line perpendicular to the ground.Of course, it is not possible to act directly thereon by controlling theposition of the wheel relative to the ground, since it is inconceivableto come to bear on the ground itself in order to control the cambervariation. It is possible only to act indirectly via a mechanismconnected to the chassis.

[0017] The invention applies particularly to four-wheeled vehicles, suchas passenger cars. The camber angle variation concerned here is of greatextent, that is to say is nearer the values frequently swept bymotorcycles than the set values which may exist in a conventionalfour-wheeled passenger car. For clarification, the range of variation isof the order of ±15° to ±20°. At all events, the range of variation issuch that, when the wheel tilts about its area of contact with theground, the transverse displacement of the radially upper part of thewheel may reach an extent greater than the width of said wheel. Ofcourse, the amplitude of the camber is possibly not identical for eachof the wheels of the vehicle, whereas the tilting direction of thewheels is always the same and is directed opposite to the transverseacceleration originating from the centrifugal force. The top of thewheel therefore tilts in the centripetal direction.

[0018] It can be seen that the invention provides suspension kinematicswhich are as pure as possible: the wheel connecting system not onlyoffers vertical suspension, but it also makes it possible to modify thecamber of the wheel at any moment, without thereby reducing the strokeof the vertical suspension in terms of either compression or expansion,while at the same time maintaining vertical suspension under optimaloperating conditions. Strictly speaking, it would be more appropriate torefer to deflection located in the wheelplane and directedperpendicularly to the running movement of the vehicle. For the sake oflinguistic convenience, this degree of freedom is designated by“vertical suspension”.

[0019] In an especially advantageous variant, the invention provides anassembly making it possible to integrate the guidance and the elementsnecessary for the so-called vertical suspension into the interior of thewheel. The essential functions of the suspension (guidance of thewheelplane, degree of freedom of deflection in the desired direction andcontrol of the deflecting movements) are thereby integrated into thevolume within the wheel. This makes it possible to ensure that theassembly is highly compact.

[0020] According to another variant, the invention provides a passengercar with active control of roll: the passenger compartment of thevehicle is mounted on the chassis in such a way that said compartmentcan be inclined toward the inside of the bend as a function of thecentrifugal force. Here again, although roll is a measure of the leanangle of the passenger compartment relative to the ground, action istaken on the roll angle indirectly by bearing on the chassis. The objectis to achieve a substantial range of variation of the roll angle of thepassenger compartment, of the same order of magnitude as the range ofvariation of the camber. Thus, without necessarily achieving the rollangles which a vehicle having two in-line wheels (for example amotorcycle) may assume, the effect produced is sufficiently noticeableto alter radically the impression felt by the passengers of such avehicle and thus to contribute to their comfort.

[0021] Another embodiment provides a horizontal suspension of thewheels, that is to say a suspension which allows the wheels to movealong the longitudinal axis relative to the chassis when they encounteran obstacle. This contributes to comfort by avoiding transmittingviolent shocks to the tire, due to the reduction in the impact speed.

[0022] The invention will be understood better from the followingdescription relating to a four wheeled vehicle. The invention appliesparticularly to vehicles comprising at least four wheels, although theexample given is not limiting.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] In the accompanying figures:

[0024]FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view showing one quarter of avehicle;

[0025]FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic front view showing the main members of awheel connecting system, with two camber values being superposed one onthe other;

[0026]FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic top view showing the main members of awheel connecting system, with two positions for the horizontaldeflection of the suspension being superposed one on the other; and

[0027]FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating the control of the wheelconnections.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028]FIG. 1 shows, in particular, a chassis 1 which consists of acentral beam and to which all the members of the vehicle are fastened.Each wheel connecting system of the vehicle is preferably identical.Four wheels 2 are therefore mounted on the chassis 1 by means ofidentical members, and because of this it is sufficient to describe onlyone of the wheel connecting systems in order to describe the inventionfully.

[0029] There can be seen a support 5, belonging to a wheel connectingsystem, and its mounting points on the vehicle: two lower points 50,forming a horizontal axis AA′, and an upper point 52 at the end of abracket 51. There are three support mounting points, so that saidsupport can be strictly maintained in position (maintaining thewheel-plane). Moreover, there can also be seen a lever 61, on the end ofwhich action is taken in order to control the steering of the wheel 2.On the steering axle, the levers 61 are controlled by a steeringmechanism, a control rod 62 of which can be seen. Preferably, thesteering mechanism is to make the angle of steering of the wheelssufficiently insensitive to variations in camber (and also to variationsin roll if the roll of the body is controlled actively—a suitableinstallation is given below). On a nonsteering axle, either a simplifiedwheel connecting system is used, which prevents steering of the wheel,or the wheel carrier is immobilized by connecting a link to the levers61 in a suitable way, in this case preferably a link of adjustablelength.

[0030] The wheel carrier is mounted on the support 5 by means of asingle bar 55 sliding in the support 5, the wheel carrier being mountedwithout any degree of freedom on the bar 55 at the two ends of thelatter, said bar 55 being arranged in the volume delimited radially bythe rim of said wheel 2, said suspension device comprising means forcontrolling the deflection of the wheel carrier relative to the support.This is how it is possible for the wheel 2 to be deflected verticallyrelative to the support 5.

[0031] Finally, a traction motor 8, for example a hydraulic or electricmotor, can be seen, this type of traction being more convenient toinstall than a transmission by means of a mechanical shaft, in light ofthe need to accommodate the camber variations.

[0032] In order to control the deflection, use is made, for example, ofa spring and shock absorber which are not illustrated so as not tooverload the drawing. It will be possible, for example, to arrange aspring parallel to the bar 55 and offset relative to the latter, saidspring being accommodated within the rim and in front of the slideway inFIG. 1. A linear or rotary shock absorber, which may be accommodated onthe other side of the slideway, could be used. One of these or both may,of course, be under active control, the invention not dealing per sewith the spring and damping functions.

[0033] The support 5 is fastened to the chassis 1 of the vehicle bymeans of an arm 70 and a rod 75. The end of the arm 70 forms a fork 71connected to the support 5 by means of the first two points 50, withpossibility of tilting of the support 5 relative to the arm 70 about theaxis AA′. The arm 70 is mounted on the chassis of the vehicle so as tobe capable of transmitting the suspended weight of the latter andtransferring it to the support 5. The arm could be purely and simplymounted in the chassis 1, if independent horizontal suspension is not tobe provided. There is still a degree of freedom of tilting of thesupport 5 about the axis AA′. Under the action of camber control means,the rod 75 is displaced transversely relative to the arm 70 in order tovary the position of the point 52 relative to the position of the axisAA′, thus making it possible to change the camber value of the wheel 2.

[0034] Thus, the camber mechanism of the vehicle comprises an arm 70mounted on the support 5 on an axis of support oriented substantiallyparallel to said longitudinal plane, and mounted on the chassis 1without any possibility tilting about a longitudinal axis relative tosaid chassis, so as to transmit the weight carried by the chassis 1 tothe support 5 by means of said arm, the camber mechanism comprising ameans for tilting the support about said axis of support 5.

[0035] It may be noted that the design arrangement provided by theinvention makes it possible, for any camber and steering value and forany value of the deflection of the horizontal suspension, to maintain,in the plane of the wheel, the degree of freedom of deflection whichvertical suspension requires. It is also because of this that the tirealways remains under optimal operating conditions, even when thefunctioning of the tire in a transient state is considered. On a bend,and therefore when there is even appreciable camber, the verticaldeflection of the wheel which may possibly be caused by uneven grounddoes not significantly change the way the vehicle bears transversely onits wheels. As is obvious, at this moment, a vehicle bears essentiallyon the wheels located on the outside of the bend. Any tendency to causetransverse variations in the groundbearing reactions of the path of thevehicle is effectively combatted.

[0036] Thus, the vehicle described is notable in that each of the wheelconnecting systems comprises a hub designed for supporting a wheel 2 andcomprises a wheel carrier defining the axis of rotation of the hub, saidwheel carrier being guided translationally relative to the support in arectilinear movement parallel to a perpendicular to the axis of rotationof the hub, the support 5 comprising at least one mounting point toenable the support 5 to be mounted on said chassis 1.

[0037] Since the vehicle illustrating the invention comprises ahorizontal suspension, the arm 70 and the rod 75 are not directlymounted on the chassis. It is necessary for the camber mechanism to becapable of following the movements of the horizontal suspension, withoutinducing any unwanted variation in the camber. Before the details of thecamber mechanism are described, let us first examine the design of thehorizontal suspension.

[0038] The arm 70, which transfers the weight of the vehicle to thewheel 2, is connected to the chassis 1, while at the same time amovement of the arm allowing horizontal suspension is permitted. Inorder to transmit the load, it is necessary for the arm 70 to beconnected to the chassis 1 without any possibility of tilting of the armrelative to the chassis 1 about a longitudinal axis. For this purpose,the arm 70 is part of a component forming an angle piece 7. The lattercomprises a vertical branch 72. Arranged at the two ends of the branch72 are yokes allowing connection to a box 3 via a vertical axis ofarticulation CC′. The horizontal branch of the angle piece 7, that is tosay the arm 70, comprises a ball joint 73 forming a vertical axis whichis arranged transversely on that side 74 of the arm 70 opposite the fork71 and which is arranged longitudinally on the opposite side to thevertical branch 72.

[0039] Reference to FIG. 3 makes it possible to understand how thehorizontal suspension functions. It can be seen, in particular, that theposition of the arm 70 and of the box 3 is represented by unbroken linesfor a mid-position and by broken lines for another position. The strokeof such a horizontal suspension is a matter of centimeters, without thehorizontal deflection interfering either with the camber or with thesteering. Consequently, a rocker 79, correctly articulated on the arm70, allows the steering control rod 62 to follow the deflectingmovements of the horizontal suspension, without causing any inducedsteering.

[0040] There are therefore three support points for the arm 70, makingit possible to hold it strictly, that is to say without any possibilityof its tilting about a longitudinal axis relative to the chassis 1. Thevehicle weight is transmitted to the wheel 2 via the box 3. In order toallow horizontal deflection of the wheel, while at the same timetransmitting the weight of the vehicle, the box 3 is mounted on thechassis 1 on a vertical axis DD′ obtained by means of two separate yokes31 and 32. A link 30 forms a parallelogram with the box 3, the assemblyas a whole being seen in a horizontal plane (see FIG. 3). The link 30 ismounted on the chassis 1 by means of a pivot 33. The horizontal movementof the arm 70 is controlled by a suitable device 35, for example asimple rubber block, in light of the small deflections for whichallowance need be allowed.

[0041] This constitutes a mechanism for the horizontal suspension of thecorresponding wheel: the suspended weight is transferred to the support5 by means of the arm 70, the rod 75 being displaced transverselyrelative to the arm 70 by said camber control means, the latter beingunaffected by the weight of the vehicle. The arm 70 is mounted on thechassis 1 on at least two vertical axes (here, the axes CC′ and DD′)which are parallel and horizontally separated, these constitutingvertices of a horizontal suspension mechanism forming a parallelogram,as seen in a horizontal plane, the other two vertices being integralwith the chassis 1.

[0042] Many other horizontal suspension devices may be adopted. It maybe noted that the essential point, as regards the horizontal suspension,is to ensure that the arm 70 is mounted on the chassis 1 by means of ahorizontal suspension device allowing the support to move parallel tothe preferred running direction.

[0043] We shall now continue by describing the mechanism for controllingthe camber of each wheel 2. The latter, as seen in a vertical planeperpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle (see FIG. 2),forms a parallelogram, two vertices of which are formed by two mountingpoints 50, 52 located on the support 5 and arranged vertically one abovethe other and two sides of which are formed by the arm 70 and the rod 75parallel thereto, the arm and the rod terminating at the mounting points50, 52. This parallelogram makes it possible for the mounting points 50,52 of the support 5 to be offset transversely toward the chassis. Thelength of the rod 75 corresponds to the length of the arm 70, asmeasured between the axes AA′ and BB′. The rod 75 connects the point 52of the support 5 to the point 750 located on a countergear 40oscillating about the axis BB′. A camber lever 4 is mounted on thechassis 1 so as to oscillate about a longitudinal axis XX′ and ismounted at a chassis point 43 located transversely at the center of thevehicle. A rod 44 connects a point 41 of the countergear 40 to a point42 of the camber lever 4, the points 46 (located on the axis BB′), 41,42 and 43 forming a parallelogram. The points 41 and 42 are ball joints,so as to adapt both to the camber variations imparted to the wheel 2 andthe horizontal displacements attributable to the degree of freedomintroduced by the horizontal suspension.

[0044] A jack 45 is interposed between the camber lever 4 and thechassis 1. The jack 45 is controlled in such a way that it assumes aspecific length according to the camber angle which is to be imparted tothe wheels 2. A look at FIG. 2 makes it possible to understand theorganization of the movements for controlling the wheel camber. Therecan be seen, in particular, the position of the rod 75 and theconfiguration of the countergear 40 and of the camber lever 4, asrepresented by unbroken lines with regard to zero camber and by brokenlines as regards a nonzero value of the camber.

[0045] As regards the passenger compartment of the vehicle, either it isintegral with the chassis 1 or it is mounted on the chassis 1 via thelongitudinal axis of articulation XX′ passing through the point 43. Inthe latter case, the vehicle is such that it comprises:

[0046] a passenger compartment for the transport of passengers, which ismounted on the chassis 1 so as to be inclinable about a longitudinalaxis, in such a way that the passenger compartment forms a variable rollangle relative to said chassis 1,

[0047] mechanical means interposed between the chassis 1 and thepassenger compartment and acting so as to impart said roll angle in thesame direction as the camber,

[0048] calculation means for calculating said roll angle as a functionof the value or values recorded, said interposed mechanical means actingunder the control of said calculation means.

[0049] By making the passenger compartment integral with the camberlever 4, the passenger compartment assumes a roll angle relative to thechassis 1 which is identical to the camber angle imparted to the wheels.Thus, the camber mechanisms of each of the wheels are actuated by saidmechanical means interposed between the chassis 1 and the passengercompartment, in such a way that the variation in camber of the wheelsand the variation in the roll angle of the passenger compartment aresynchronous. This contributes to the comfort of the passengers,additionally due to a perception of greater safety in the movement ofthe vehicle. It may be noted that this also contributes per se tosafety, in that the center of gravity of the vehicle is displaced towardthe inside of the bend, thus reducing the load fraction which istransferred to the wheels located on the outside of the bend. Not onlydo the tires work in a more favorable position relative to the ground,but, furthermore, in this embodiment, the instantaneous overload on thetires on the outside of the bend is lower than if there were nocorrection of camber.

[0050] In order to control the camber angle, and indeed the roll angle,of the passenger compartment as a function of the centrifugal forceexerted on the vehicle, at least one sensor may be installed on thevehicle in order to record the value of at least one parameter making itpossible to evaluate said centrifugal force. This may be a directmeasurement of the centrifugal acceleration or else an evaluation as afunction of indirect parameters, such as the speed of the vehicle andthe steering wheel angle, as shown in FIG. 4. At all events, calculationmeans (for example, a microprocessor loaded with the appropriateprogram) makes it possible to implement regulating strategies in themanner of the procedure for controlling active suspensions, in order tocalculate the roll angle to be imparted. Such a strategy may take intoaccount various choices for implementing it, such as, for example, aproportionality value setting the level of transverse acceleration atwhich the maximum roll angle permitted by the roll mechanism is reached.On the basis of the roll angle calculated, it is possible to control thejack 45, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0051] On the basis of what has just been described, the average personskilled in the art may make adaptions according to his own wishes,without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example,there is nothing to prevent adding filtering between the passengercompartment and the chassis, for example by means of elastic rubberblocks.

We claim:
 1. A vehicle comprising: a suspended running chassis defininga longitudinal and vertical plane forming a reference linked to thechassis, the running direction of the vehicle being parallel to saidlongitudinal plane, at least two wheel connecting systems, eachcomprising a wheel, said wheel connecting systems being mounted on saidchassis on either side of the latter in the transverse direction, eachof the wheel connecting systems comprising a wheel mounted on a supportby means of a suspension device allowing deflection of the wheelrelative to the support, said suspensions being independent of oneanother, the deflecting movement taking place in the plane of the wheel,the deflection stroke being sufficient to afford the required verticalsuspension movement, wherein each support is mounted on said chassis bymeans of a camber mechanism making it possible to vary the camber angleof the corresponding wheel, said camber mechanism acting between thechassis and each support so as to incline the plane of each wheelrelative to said longitudinal plane, in order to impart a camber angleof desired amplitude to the planes of said wheels, thus inclining allthe wheels relative to the ground in the same direction.
 2. The vehicleas claimed in claim 1, comprising at least one sensor for recording thevalue of at least one parameter making it possible to evaluate thetransverse acceleration exerted on the vehicle, and calculation meansfor calculating the amplitude of each camber angle as a function of thevalue or values recorded, said camber mechanism comprising control meansacting under the control of said calculation means.
 3. The vehicle asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the camber mechanism comprises an armmounted on the support on an axis of support oriented substantiallyparallel to said longitudinal plane, and mounted on the chassis withoutany possibility of tilting about a longitudinal axis relative to saidchassis, so as to transmit the weight carried by the chassis to thesupport by means of said arm, and wherein the camber mechanism comprisesa means for tilting the support about said axis of support.
 4. Thevehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the suspended weight istransferred to the support by means of the arm and including a roddisplaced transversely relative to the arm by said camber control means.5. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the wheelconnecting systems comprises a hub for supporting a wheel, a wheelcarrier defining the axis of rotation of the hub, wherein the wheelcarrier is guided translationally relative to the support in arectilinear movement parallel to a perpendicular to the axis of rotationof the hub, the support comprising at least one mounting point to enablethe support to be mounted on said chassis.
 6. The vehicle as claimed inclaim 5, wherein the wheel carrier is mounted on the support by means ofa single bar sliding in the support, the wheel carrier being mounted onthe bar at the two ends of the latter, said bar being arranged in thevolume delimited radially by the rim of said wheel, said suspensiondevice comprising means for controlling the deflection of the wheelcarrier relative to the support.
 7. The vehicle as claimed in claim 3,wherein the camber mechanism, as seen in a vertical plane perpendicularto the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, forms a parallelogram, twovertices of which are formed by two mounting points located on thesupport and arranged vertically one above the other and two sides ofwhich are formed by the arm and a rod parallel thereto, the arm and therod terminating at the mounting points.
 8. The vehicle as claimed inclaim 7, wherein the suspended weight is transferred to the support bymeans of the arm, the rod being displaced transversely relative to thearm by said camber control means, and wherein the arm is mounted on thechassis by means of a horizontal suspension device allowing the supportto move parallel to the preferred running direction.
 9. The vehicle asclaimed in claim 7, wherein the arm is mounted on the chassis on atleast two vertical axes (CC′ and DD′) which are parallel andhorizontally separated, these constituting the vertices of a horizontalsuspension mechanism forming a parallelogram, as seen in a horizontalplane, the other two vertices being integral with the chassis.
 10. Thevehicle as claimed in claim 1, comprising: a passenger compartment forthe transport of passengers, which is mounted on the chassis so as to beinclinable about a longitudinal axis, in such a way that the passengercompartment forms a variable roll angle relative to said chassis,mechanical means interposed between the chassis and the passengercompartment and acting so as to impart said roll angle in the samedirection as the camber, calculation means for calculating said rollangle as a function of the value or values recorded, said interposedmechanical means acting under the control of said calculation means. 11.The vehicle as claimed in claim 10, including camber control meansactuated by said mechanical means and interposed between the chassis andthe passenger compartment, to insure that the variation in camber of thewheels and the variation in the roll angle of the passenger compartmentare synchronous.